What does it mean to be colorblind? The term is mainly used as a way to dismiss the idea that racism still operates within our society. Colorblindness, the inability to perceive color, is a lie when it comes to race and racial discourse in our culture. If people were truly colorblind, why would such racial injustices, especially police brutality cases, continue to occur at an alarmingly consistent pace? If people were conditioned to be colorblind, why were the lives of Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, John Crawford, Renisha McBride, and Sandra Bland, among many others, ended without the slightest hesitation? The institution of colorblindness is just as toxic and fatal as racism; it’s just another facet of white supremacy. Like the American Dream, colorblindness was not fashioned for the benefit of marginalized and oppressed peoples. Like the American Dream, the gold and glittering shell is merely a front for its hollow sentiments. These writers share their experiences and opinions about this failed American ideal.
The Color of Hatred, by Tyree Boyd-Pates
Portraits of American Mothers, by Victoria Bond
When Colorblind Dreams Meet a Harrowing Reality, by Tai Gooden
The Weight of the World, the Weight of Words, by Julie Feng
The Appropriation of Chinese Culture and the Met Gala, by Kelly Luc
On College, by Hanif Abdurraqib
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Curated by Vanessa Willoughby